Handle-strap for carrying books and other articles.



, H. M. SPRAGUE.

HANDLE STRAP FOR CARRYING BOOKS AND OTHER ARTICLES.

' APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16,1912.

Patented Mar. 18, 1913..

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60.. WASHINGTON. D. 2:.

HORACE M. SPRAGUE, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

HANDLE-STRAP FOR CARRYING BOOKS AND OTHER ARTICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar.18,1913.

Application filed. February 16, 1912. Serial No. 677,991.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORACE M. SPRAGUE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Handle-Strap for Carrying Books and other Articles, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in handle straps for carrying books and other articles; and the objects of my inventlon are: first, to provide an adjustable book strap provided with a handle that will clampingly hold the strap around a book or books or other objects at the exact point where the strap is tightened, and that can be instantly loosened and the books or articles released by pulling on the free end of the strap; and second, to provide an adjustable book, shawl, or other article carrying strap, provided with a hand grasping handle, and that is provided with a finger operated clip that s arranged to lock the strap in adjusted positions. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved strap handle, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the handle, showing a strap connected to the handle and secured around a number of books, Fig. 3 is a plan view of a slight modification of the handle, in which the ends of the handle proper are formed into inturned trunnions, and inserted in holes in the end of the strap supporting member, a spring also being shown for exerting a downward pressure on the strap clamp; and Fig. 4: is a plan view of the strap clamp, detached, showing the integral trunnions by which it is pivoted in apertures in the sides of the strap supporting member.

Referring to the drawings,-the numeral 1 designates a strap keeper. This strap keeper comprises an open top trough or box portion, the ends 2 of which are closed. These ends 2 are provided with slot apertures 3 and 4, which are adapted to receive the opposite ends of a strap 5. The slot 3 is adapted to receive a single thickness of the end 6 of the strap, which passes through the slot 3, and is secured in the box portion of the handle by any suitable means, but preferably by folding the terminal end of the strap upon itself, and securing this folded end portion together by a rivet 7 thus forming a loop 8 at the end of the strap within the box, and a pin 9 is extended transversely across this box through the loop and passes through the adjacent sides of the box. The slot 4 receives the adjustable end of the strap which is folded upon itself, with its terminal end on top of its adjacent port1on The slot 4: is made large enough to rece1ve this folded adjustable end of the strap loosely, so that the strap can be easily drawn through by pulling on its free end. The folding of the adjustable end of the strap also forms a loop at its end that lies within the box, and a pin 10 extends transversely across the box through this loop. and is secured in apertures formed in the op positesides of the box. This open topped box in which the ends of the strap are held, 1s long enough to form the supporting base for a handle 11, that is adapted to be held in the hand of a person, and the handle is preferably of curved form and its opposite ends are pivotally secured to the outsides of the opposite ends of its supporting box port1on by pins 12, and the handle can be swung or turned on its pivots to either side edge of the box.

In order to secure the adjustable end of the strap in adjusted positions, I provide the box with a strap clamping keeper 13. My invention contemplates any kind 01 character of keeper that can be quickly manipulated to firmly grip or clamp or release the strap in adjusted positions. I preferably however carry out this feature of my lnvention in the following manner: Across the box between its sides I place the strap clamp 13, which is pivotally mounted in apertures formed in the opposite sides of the box by any suitable means, but preferably by trunnion pins l l, that are formed on the opposite edges of the clip. The plate port-ion of the clip above the trunnions is adapted to be engaged by a finger of the carrier, and pushed down toward the adj acent end of the box, through which the adjustable end of the strap is oassed, and the portion of the clip that lies elow the trunnions is bent at right angles to the finger engaging plate of the clip, and when the finger plate is standing in a vertical position the right angled member points toward the adjacent slotted end of the box and acts as a clamp when thrown or turned downward, and the folded end of the strap passes throu h this end and under the clamping end of the clamping clip. The edge of the right angled member is arranged to extend transversely across the strap and close enough to it to turn into and against it and to indent its edge into the surface of the strap when the finger plate portion of the clip is turned down against the strap and clamp the strap against the inside surface of the bottom of the box. In order, however, that the strap clamping edge of the finger clip may grip the strap and thus hold it with a positively locking grip, I provide the clamping edge of the clip with a row of teeth 15, which are indented into the strap, and in order that the teeth may easily embed into the strap, I preferably use a fabric or woven cloth strap. 1 The strap is locked by the finger clip to the box by pushing down the clip from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2. The finger clip is also provided with a central slot 16, that enables it to be sprung together enough to permit its trunnions to be sprung into their apertures in the sides of the box.

In Fig. 3 is shown a strap support having a handle 17, the ends of which are inturned and formed into trunnions 18, which enters holes-in the ends of the support. In this view is also shown a spring 19, having a single coil, which surrounds the transverse pin 10. One end of this spring bears against the bottom of the support, while the opposite end thereof exerts a downward resilient pressure upon the strap clamp 13, and holds the same down, and also throws the clamp down.

The operation is as follows: The fixed end of the strap having been permanently secured to one end of the box portion of the handle, the free end is inserted in the slot 4 and carried up over the pin 10, and then under the finger clip and out through the slot 4 again, and lies on top of the adjacent portion of the strap. The strap is then placed around books or other articles to be carried, and its free end is drawn upon to tighten the strap around the said articles, and as the free end is drawn upon, the clamp 13 is slightly lifted, as the strap moves outward beneath it, and engages the toothed member thereof; and when the strap is drawn tight enough, the free end thereof is released, and the tension under which the strap was held acts to retract the free end thereof, which engages the teeth of the clamp and pulls it down, and it is held down through the tension or pull which the strap exerts. To loosen the book it is only necessary to pull on the free end of the strap, which throws the finger clip upwardly automatically and releases the strap,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for which then can be pulled outwardly by grasping the under portion of the strap and pulling its free end out of the handle box.

My invention is simple and makes a positively locking adjustable strap handle for books and other articles.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A device as specified, comprising a support, a cam clamp pivoted to the support, a transverse pin in the support beyond the clamp, a strap looped around said pin, the looped portion passing under the clamp, the opposite end of the strap being secured to the support, and a spring for exerting a resilient tension on the clamp.

2. In a strap handle as specified, a boxshaped support and a handle thereon, trans verse pins secured in the sides of the support, the ends of said support being provided with transverse slots, an L-shaped friction clamp pivotally mounted in the sides of the support, between one of the transverse pins and the adjacent end of the support, and a strap the ends of which are passed through the slots in the ends of the support, one end of said strap being secured to the adjacent pin, while the other end of the strap is passed under the friction clamp and around the adjacent pin and back under the clamp and out through the adjacent slot, the axis of said clamp being at the meeting line of its base and perpendicular, whereby when it is turned in the proper direction, the edge of its shorter member engages frictionally with the strap.

3. In a strap handle as specified, a boxshaped support having a handle thereon; an L-shaped clamp having lateral trunnions at the meeting point of its members, where they enter apertures in the sides of said support, said clamp having a slot dividing its shorter member and extending part way through its longer member, whereby the said trunnions may be sprung into their apertures; a transverse pin in the support, back of the clamp, and a strap looped around said pin, the looped portion passing under said clamp, and adapted to be held between said clam) and the bottom of the support, one end of said strap being secured to the opposite end of the support.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HORACE M. SPRAGUE.

Witnesses G. SARGENT ELLIOTT. ELIZABETH SMITH.

Washington, D. C.

Ill) 

